Synopsis

The Auxiliary Territorial Service was formed in 1938 as Britain faced the threat of war. This is the story of those remarkable women. They took over many roles, releasing Servicemen for front-line duties. ATS members worked alongside anti-aircraft gunners, maintained vehicles, drove supply trucks, operated as telephonists in France, provided logistical support in army supply depots and employed specialist skills from Bletchley to General Eisenhower's HQ in Reims. They grasped their new-found opportunities for education, higher wages, skilled employment and a different future from the domestic role of their mothers. ATS achievements forestalled any return to pre-war attitudes. They showed great skill and courage, with members including the Queen (the Princess Elizabeth) and Mary Churchill. They were even among the last military personnel to be evacuated from Dunkirk. This book reveals their extraordinary story through their own words and never-before published photographs.